


For Real!?

by MizuTori



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Let Sakamoto Ryuji Say Fuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:34:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26915209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizuTori/pseuds/MizuTori
Summary: Out of everything Ryuji expected to see today, his best friend making out with Ms. Kawakami was definitely not one of them.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Kawakami Sadayo, Kawakami Sadayo/Kurusu Akira, Kawakami Sadayo/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 31
Kudos: 148





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, last one before I go back to working on "An Insecure Violet". Seriously though, these are a breath of fresh air.

"Ho...ly...shit."

Ryuji Sakamoto had been having a great day. He and the rest of the Phantom Thieves were able to make great progress through Okumura's palace last night.

Then, when he had woken up the next morning he found his mother had gone to the store and gotten all of his favorite snack foods. Finally, thanks to all of the group study sessions with his friends, he got a B on his history test. Today was a great day.

...Until he saw Ms. Kawakami making out with Ren.

The former was being pushed up against the chalkboard as Ren sucked and bit his way down her neck towards her chest. They were so engrossed in what they were doing they didn't even hear Ryuji open the door.

The faux blonde slowly closed the door. He stood wide-eyed, slack jawed, staring at the door. What was he supposed to do with this information?

...He did see it correctly, right?

Ryuji cracked the door open just an inch and peeked inside. Lo and behold, they were still sucking face with Kawakami's hand slipping under Ren's shirt.

Quickly closing the door, Ryuji backed away with his head in his hands.

What should he do?

Ren, his best friend, leader, was FUCKING Kawakami!

Well, not literally...at least not at the moment. But it looked like they were getting there.

Should he say something? Should he ask Ren about it?

Should the other thieves know?

If Ren got caught, then he would get into serious trouble. And he already had his probation to worry about.

How did this even happen? Kawakami was like 24 or something like that, right? Is this seriously what Ren meant when he said he liked older girls?

He thought Ren meant like 1 or 2 years older, not a literal adult woman!

And his teacher!

SADAYO KAWAKAMI!

Wait...when he took Ren to go fishing and Kawakami was there...he emphasized the word "Master"...and then Kawakami blushed and glared at him…

Ryuji cringed, his entire body clenching up. _'Was that some sort of fucking kink thing?! For real?! Ugh, no!'_ He took a deep breath, running a hand in his hair. _'Okay, get it together.'_

The teen looked around, remembering the windows that had a view directly into the classroom. _'The last thing any of us need is for them to get caught.'_ Ryuji sighed, raising his hand to the door and knocking loudly. "Ms. Kawakami?! Ya in there!?"

In the classroom room Sadayo gasped, quickly pushing Ren away. Both of their hearts began to pound in their chests once they realized who the voice belonged to. Ren rolled over the desk, assuming his regular position of hands in pockets.

Sadayo quickly fixed her hair and smoothed out her shirt. "C-Come in!"

Ryuji opened the door, walking into the class. "Hey, I was-Oh! Nevermind, I was actually just looking for this guy. I was hoping you'd seen him."

"Y-Yes, I was just talking to Amamiya-kun about his latest test scores."

"Ah, cool. I'll just wait outside for ya, dude."

Ren nodded as he watched his friend leave the class.

_*SMACK*_

"Ow!" Sadayo had grabbed a book and began repeatedly hitting her lover.

"I!" * _SMACK*_ "TOLD!" _*SMACK*_ "YOU!" _*SMACK*_ "THIS!" _*SMACK*_ "WAS!" _*SMACK*_ "A!" _*SMACK*_ "TERRIBLE!" * _SMACK*_ "IDEA!" _*SMACK*_

Ren backed away once the onslaught stopped. He kept his voice low while he responded. "You were the one giving me sexy-eyes the whole class period!"

"That was my angry eyes! I was trying to get you to stop giving _me_ sexy-eyes!"

"Well I find your angry eyes very sexy, so I was confused!"

Sadayo covered her face with her hands as she groaned. "He saw us, didn't he?"

Ren sighed, "Ryuji actually knocked on the door for once in his life, and there are windows. I'd be more surprised if he didn't." Sadayo slammed her head on the desk. "Hey." Ren gently lifted her head up, stroking her cheek as he looked into her worried eyes. "I'll handle it, alright? Ryuji might be...surprised, but he won't say anything. It'll be just fine. I'll talk to him."

The teacher sighed, but nodded. "Okay."

"I'm sorry for roping you into this. I know you said absolutely nothing romantic at school, but sometimes I just can't help myself when I look at you."

Sadayo smiled, putting her hand to his cheek. "Oh, Ren...save your charm to get us out of this mess."

"Ah, but you still called it charm. So it somewhat worked."

"Get out."

Ren chuckled, making his way to the door. Halfway there, he stopped. "Um, so are we gonna-?"

"If you fix this, my apartment, 8 o'clock. You're going to finish what you started or I'm going to be even more pissed."

Ren smiled, "I'll bring dinner. Love you." All he received was a grumble in response. "I won't leave until you say it back."

She groaned again, but had a wide smile on her face. "I love you, too."

Ren exited the class and into the halls, which were empty except for Ryuji leaning against the wall. Ryuji opened his mouth to talk, but Ren interrupted him. "Follow me. We need to talk." The blonde closed his mouth, but nodded.

The leader led him up to the roof of Shujin, sitting down on an old desk while his friend leaned against some old gym mats. Ryuji stuffed his hands in his pockets as he stared down at his feet. "So…"

"Before you yell at me, interrogate me, accuse me of anything, let's get something straight." Ren turned his head to look Ryuji dead in the eye. "I love her, and there's nothing you can do or say to change that. It won't stop me from seeing her. And don't accuse her of anything either. She tried to deny me, back out of it. I tried to accept her refusal, but I was so desperate to be with her. And apparently she felt the same, so we said "Fuck it". I'll be 18 next year. So if we have to hide until that point, then I don't care. Because we know every second has been and will be worth it."

Ryuji sat in silence for a few minutes, processing everything that he had just heard. "W-Well...uh...shit. Now I don't know what to say. I guess for starters, I didn't plan on ratting you out or anything."

"I know. You're too good of a friend."

"But I can't say I don't have concerns, dude."

"As most people would. But, I can't guarantee you that I can answer every question."

Ryuji began lazily pacing back and forth, "How did this start?"

"I can't answer that."

"For real!? The first question!?"

"All I can say is I helped her with something, and prevented her from doing something drastic."

Ryuji raised a brow in question, "Does it have to do with those people we fought in Mementos a few months ago? You said they were messing with Kawakami, and you were scary that day. You nearly killed those two."

"It does, but that's all I'll say." Ren still remembered the absolute horror he felt when Sadayo sobbed and said she would have to go to Victoria's sister company that did "special services". And Ryuji was right, his rage towards Takase's guardians nearly cost them their lives.

He hadn't felt that angry since Kamoshida. But, the thought of some disgusting creep on top of Sadayo...he would've done whatever it took to make sure it didn't happen.

As long as he lived he would make sure she didn't suffer anymore. She didn't even know yet, but Ren had been slipping a few thousand yen into her purse everyday since she lied about having a sister in the hospital. That was only just one of a billion things he would do for her.

Ryuji decided to accept that he wouldn't get an answer at this point in time and moved on. "How serious is this? I mean, I know you would never do this for fun or to gain something out of it. And from what you said earlier, it sounds like ya really love her."

Ren unzipped his bag, which didn't have Morgana in it. The ca-...human didn't want to witness Ren and Sadayo "getting busy", so he left early. The teen pulled out a small velvet box and showed this to Ryuji, "Bought this a week after we started dating."

"You're fuckin' engaged!?"

"No. Well, not yet. I just got this for when I do, because I definitely plan to. I'm thinking of saving it for graduation, then wait to have the wedding until after college. Or probably a few years into college, I'm clearly impatient to be with her. Speaking of which, 20% of the money we get on every Mementos run goes into my wedding funds."

Ryuji squinted his eyes, "How much money do you have, dude? We go on Mementos money runs all the time. And you have like three jobs!"

"No comment. But, does that answer your question as to how serious I am about her?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Ryuji blew a raspberry as he was still in disbelief. Now it was time to get to the serious questions. "What about the others?"

"Hm?"

"Are you gonna tell the others? Why didn't you tell us in the first place? We promised no more secrets."

Ren frowned, "I think you took that promise too literally. I meant promises that affect the team. We all still have and deserve a private life."

"But this does affect the team! What if you get caught! You're just lucky it was me who saw you. What if it was a janitor? Or what if another teacher came by to see Kawakami? If you get arrested, where does that leave the Phantom Thieves?"

"I...Well…" Ren actually hadn't really thought about it. He had been so absolutely ecstatic that Sadayo had actually agreed to a relationship that he just accepted it and moved on. He knew there were risks, but he put them on the back burner. In his mind, as long as he had Sadayo, who cared?

"And what about Ann?"

It was Ren's turn to look confused. "What do you mean?"

"Dude, Ann doesn't exactly have the greatest opinion of teacher-student relationships."

Ren facepalmed, "Oh shit." He didn't think about that. Kamoshida still had an effect on Ann. She didn't trust any teachers, especially the male ones. She did her best to stay clear of them at all times. Whenever a teacher asks to talk to her alone after class, she makes sure at least one of the Phantom Thieves is outside the door.

"And what if she tells Shiho?"

Ren groaned again, "I don't know. I refuse to stop seeing Sadayo, but I completely understand why Ann is going to be beyond pissed off. Shiho probably won't talk to me."

"She'll just see another Kamoshida."

"If you compare Sadayo to that bastard, I will hurt you."

"I'm not saying she is! I'm just saying that Ann and Shiho will likely not approve because of him. And the longer you keep it from her, the angrier she'll be. How long has this been going on anyway?"

"A little over three months."

Ryuji's jaw dropped again, "Three months and you're already gettin' down and dirty with her?"

"We've both missed out on a lot of love in our lives. Her romantically, and me both familial and romantically. If we're going too fast, neither of us really care. We like the pace we're going at."

"Wait, what about when we went hunting for chicks at the beach?"

"I had to keep the act up or you would've gotten suspicious. Besides, you were the one who tried. I sat and watched silently."

Ryuji didn't want to remember the harsh rejections, so he went back to the topic at hand. "So, _are_ you gonna tell the rest? Or at least Ann?"

"I...don't know. This isn't something you can just blurt out. And while we both agreed that if questioned about it, we wouldn't deny our relationship, we still want as little people knowing about us as possible. As in absolutely no one. If we had it our way, you wouldn't know about this for quite some time. Maybe even a few years. So, I won't say anything for now. But, if you decide that the others should know, then I won't stop you. I'm not ashamed, and I never will be."

Ryuji bit the inside of his cheek as he contemplated the idea. It was true that he felt the team deserved to know, at least the long-term members...or probably just Ann and Makoto. Yusuke was too much of a wild card.

On the other hand, it really wasn't his place. Ren was right. They all have their own personal stuff to go through. And Ren sacrificed enough as it is for the team. He split up so much of his time, money, and effort not just to succeed as Phantom Thieves, but so his friends could succeed as people.

He would've never gotten his running spirit back if not for him. Ann would've still been lost in life. Yusuke would've still been struggling with his art, his passion. Makoto would've still not believed in her own convictions and justice. Futaba wouldn't be able to go outside for more than five minutes without him. And now he's helping Haru and a bunch of other people Ryuji's only heard about.

If Sadayo Kawakami was the one thing Ren wanted all to himself, who was he to intervene.

"...Just go at your own pace, man. Tell them when you're ready. Hopefully that doesn't mean a few years, but if Kawakami is what it takes to make you happy, then do whatever you need to make her comfortable."

Ren smiled, "I and everyone else don't give you enough credit."

Ryuji threw his head back, "Ugh! I know! Also, is it just me, or does everyone seem to forget that I'm one of the founders of our team? It was you and me, and then somehow Morgana and Ann shoved their way into it."

Ren stood up and threw an arm around Ryuji's neck as they made their way towards the door. "I'll get you a plaque. How's that sound?"

"How about the position of sub-leader if you and Makoto are gone?"

"No."

"If you, Makoto, _and_ Morgana are gone?"

"No."

"What if the next time you're "with" Kawakami, you send pictures?"

"I will punch you."

"Kidding! Kidding. Speaking of which, now that I have the best friend and teammates talk out of the way, let's get to the Best Bro talk. So she's already pretty hot normally, buuut…?"

"Oh, you have no idea. Like, infinity out of ten. You'd be extremely surprised by how much a sweater and jean skirt manages to hide."

"Nice."

…

"So he's not gonna say anything?"

"Yep "

"Just like that?"

"Just like that." The couple sat in Sadayo's apartment at her kotatsu eating take-out. "I already told you not to underestimate Ryuji."

"There's a difference between underestimating his abilities and how good of a person he is, and underestimating his ability to keep quiet that his friend is dating his teacher. In fact I think most sensible people would tell on us after Kamoshida."

"You're nothing like him. He was a perverted, egotistical rapist. You're an intelligent, beautiful young woman who just so happens to be the best teacher ever...who fell for one of her students. But, the feelings are mutual and all the sex is consensual. Not to mention fantastic. Now, I fixed the mess I got is in, brought dinner, and charmed up a storm. Am I forgiven now?"

Sadayo smirked, cracked open her beer, chugged down the entire can in one go, then she threw the can without even looking as it landed directly into her trash can. She then reached over and yanked Ren across the kotatsu, connecting their lips as they laid down on the floor.


	2. Ripping Off the Band Aid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, I'm gonna need you all to tell me if Ann is out of character here. Well, she's gonna be a little out of character on purpose. This is Ann in a situation we haven't seen her in before and angrier than we've seen her before. So, yeah this is a tad bit OOC on purpose.
> 
> However, tell me if it's too much. Like I've said, this is my first time writing Persona. So I want to make sure I get everything right. The help would me much appreciated ^_^.

**(45 Minutes Later)**

Ren stroked Sadayo's hair as she slowly began to fall asleep with her face buried into the crook of his neck. His arms were wrapped around her, their body heat and the blankets were preventing the cold from interrupting their rest. 

While sleep seemed to be approaching Sadayo with ease, Ren's mind wasn't being merciful. The events of the day were running rampant throughout his brain. 

He was ecstatic that Ryujii was so understanding, but he couldn't deny his friend was right. This relationship, if it went poorly, did affect the rest of the team.

Hell, even if they weren't caught, what if Sadayo just broke up with him? Ren was certain that he would have a mental shutdown. He wouldn't be able to lead the team, focus in a fight, have the heart to be a Phantom Thief.

The reaction of his friends terrified him. Or more specifically one of them…

"...Ann." Sadayo suddenly propped herself up, angrily glaring down at her lover. "Wh-? Oh! No! Nononono! I was _NOT_ thinking of another woman that way. She's not even my type! I don't even like blondes, or-"

"Pft, hahahaha!" Sadayo laughed as she fell back down onto the bed.

"...You can be cruel sometimes, Sadayo."

"Hmhmhm. You're the one always getting the upper hand on me. It's nice whenever I can get you. I know you're not interested in Takamaki." She cupped his cheek, a small frown replacing her smile. "You were thinking about how she'd feel about us, huh?"

Ren sighed, laying his head down on her bare chest. She stroked his hair, burying her nose in it. "Yeah. Ann is one of my best friends, and one of the first people to actually give me a chance here. I can't shake this feeling that she'll think I've betrayed her."

"I won't lie to you. That is what she's going to think. While I know what we do isn't exactly considered moral by most, I do know it's nothing like what Kamoshida forced on her. But, she won't see it that way."

Ren shook his head, "How could I convince her that it's different from him? That what we have is real? I'm afraid telling her about how much I love you might just make her more sick.” Ren sighed once more, coming to a conclusion. “Maybe Ryuji was right. I should tell her sooner than later.”

Sadayo lifted his head to look him in the eye. “Woah, okay. Let’s slow down for a second here. Is that really a good idea? We just got lucky with Sakamoto, and you want to tell another one of your friends?”

“The longer I keep this from her, the worse her reaction will be. Maybe we just need to tear off the band aid. She won’t rat us out either.”

“She might not say anything, but...will you lose her?”

Ren sat up, his gaze falling to his lap in contemplation. Sadayo sat up with him, holding the blankets to her chest to protect her modesty. She laid her head down on his shoulder as she rubbed his back. “It’s inevitable. She’s going to find out someday. Whether it be now or when she receives the invitation to our wedding.”

Sadayo grumbled, smacking his shoulder. “Very funny.”

Ren chuckled, kissing her forehead. “You get the point though. I’ve made my choices and I don’t regret them in the slightest. I’m not giving you up, so...we should deal with it now.”

“And Suzui?”

"I have no idea. It would probably be best if Shiho didn't know for a while, but Ann wouldn't want to keep something like that from her. Telling them at the same time would probably make Ann even more defensive and angry. And even if we convinced Ann to accept us, that would probably make Shiho feel like Ann betrayed her." He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. There seemed to be no way for any of it to end even remotely positive. "Maybe we should just confess in our last will and testament."

"Just sleep for now. We'll talk about it tomorrow." She lightly pushed him back down, putting herself back into the position they were in previously. "I know this is serious, but whatever happens we'll have each other. Ugh, your corny lines are getting to me."

"Judging by what we just did 10 minutes ago and where I'm sleeping, they got to you a long time ago."

"Hold me and go to sleep or I'll fail you."

Ren chuckled, but he conceited. He curled his arms around Sadayo, burying his face into her hair as she pressed her face back into his neck. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he couldn't deny Sadayo was right. They'd have each other.

He'd do everything he could for this to end well. He'd fight with everything he had to not lose Ann.

But, if Ann wanted him to stop seeing Sadayo…

...If she gave him an ultimatum…

...Oh, this _really_ wasn't good. 

…

**(Next Day: Evening)**

"Are you absolutely sure it's safe to be here without my maid outfit?"

Ren placed Sadayo's coffee down on the counter, moving around to her bar stool and placing his arm around her. "In all my months of living here, besides my friends, not a single Shujin student has shown up to Leblanc. I haven't even seen one in Yongen-Jaya. Boss never comes back after this hour. And Ryuji and Futaba are the only ones that would show up without messaging me first. Ryuji already knows, and Futaba doesn't know who you are. We're fine."

"Okay. And here I was thinking you enjoyed it when I wore it."

Ren smirked, "...Well, I mean-"

"Not. One. Word." He chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets as he sat next to her. "So, I noticed Takamaki never looked like she wanted to kill you today. I have to assume you didn't tell her, or we just got extremely lucky and she's perfectly okay with us."

"No," Ren sighed. "I chickened out the whole day."

“Are you absolutely certain we should tell her right now? Maybe you should wait until you think it's the perfect time."

Ren sipped his coffee, "We are still going through a palace right now. I guess it'd be better to wait for things to die down. It should be soon, but not rushed." Ren stood back up, moving over to Sadayo. "And I can't deny, more time to keep this relationship to ourselves isn't too bad." His hands found her hips, he pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you."

Sadayo blushed heavily, but brought the tips of their noses together. "I love you, too." They kissed passionately, knowing that neither would ever regret their choice of being together. No one could convince them otherwise.

_*Jingle*_

"Sur-…!" Ren and Sadayo froze at the jingling of the bell above the door and the voice that followed. They detached their lips, both staring wide-eyed at one another. They very slowly turned their gazes towards the entrance. Their stomachs dropped as they were met with not just Ann, but Shiho as well. The latter seemed to be holding a small gift bag. "...prise."

The silence that followed felt like an eternity. No one moved. They barely blinked. They barely breathed. 

Why was Shiho even there?

Ren did his best to analyze both of their faces. Ann's face was the worst possible combination of emotions he could've asked for. The state she was in looked to be a mix of confusion, anger, horror, and nausea.

Shiho looked like she was going to be sick.

Sadayo also looked like she was about to vomit. 

Ren was a leader for a reason. It was time to take charge before things got even worse.

He raised his hands defensively towards the two girls. "Before anybody says anything, let's make something clear. Sadayo and I are going to get the chance to explain ourselves. There will be no comments until we're done speaking. Afterwards, you can express all the anger you want. But-" Before he could finish his sentence, Ann twirled Shiho around and led her out the door. Ren looked back at Kawakami, "Is that better or worse than what we wanted?"

Sadayo hid her face in her hands. "Mmph."

"Right, worse. Much worse." Ren took off out the door, hoping he could catch them before they made it to the train station. Luckily they hadn't been moving very fast, and the streets were empty. Ren caught up to them at the end of the alley in front of the secondhand shop. "Ann! Just wait!" She didn't respond. "Ann!" She kept walking, pushing Shiho a little to keep pace with her. Ren ran in front of them. "Ann, just stop! Just let me expla-"

_*SLAP*_

Ren blinked a few times as he tried to process what had just happened. Ann, one of his best friends in the world, just slapped him hard across the face. "Move, before I make you."

Ren put a hand up to his cheek, the sting still lingering. He almost moved, not wanting to piss her off further. However, while he never really argued with Ann before, he knew letting her walk away wasn't an option. He'd let her process it all for however long she wanted, but she was going to have at least some of the story first.

Ren took his faux glasses off, hardening his gaze and widening his shoulders. "No. We're going to talk. Now. I understand if Shiho doesn't come. I understand that you're angry, and confused. But I'm not going to let you walk away before you've heard me out. This isn't what you think it-"

"Not what I think!? What I think is you're screwing a teacher! Our teacher! Even after Kamo-"

"This is nothing like that! I'm-" Ren stopped himself, lowering his voice. There might not have been anyone else outside, but it was still public. Anyone could show up. "She's not blackmailing me. She's not forcing me to do anything. If anything, I'm the one who pursued a relationship."

"Oh, I could see that! You were definitely enjoying it. It doesn't matter who started it. It's still a teacher going after their students. It's still...I-It's still…" Ann closed her eyes, her hand grasping Shiho's, who had been quiet the entire time. "It's still wrong. Especially after what Kamoshida did to Shi-..." Ann paused, not sure if she should bring up what had happened to Shiho. Her friend was definitely uncomfortable as is. "...to us. She has to see that, doesn't she?

"You can't just put her in the same category as Kamoshida."

"Watch me. I knew it. I knew she had to have known about Kamoshida, just like the rest of them. Now she's following his example."

Ren suddenly grew furious. His brow furrowed, his glare burning holes into Ann's face. "How dare you accuse her of that. Don't you-"

"How dare I?! How dare you _fuck your teacher!_ I spent so long being called a slut, a whore, easy, being perved on by that monster, all of the above, and I wasn't even screwing him. And now, one of my best friends saw my suffering, helped me through it, and just says, _"Fuck it. I wanna get away with screwing my teacher! I wanna ignore what happened to my friends, and do exactly what they tried so hard to stop! Who cares what they think?"_

Ren's fist clenched, his frustration rising. "I'm telling you, Ann. It's. Not. The. Same."

The blonde shook her head, averting her eyes for a second. "Maybe not in your eyes. But to me, all I see is another teacher taking advantage of her students. Taking advantage of them just because she wants to. Because she knows she can. She has power over them. How many other students has she slept with? How many times has she threatened to fail them if they didn't?"

"Shut up!" Ren uncharacteristically yelled, taking a step forward. "Shut! Up! Don't ever speak about her that way! Sadayo isn't like that! You have no idea of the shit she went through, and what we went through together."

Ann sucked in a deep breath, "Is it more than what we've been through together? Is it really? _Everything?_ I just don't understand why. Is this a kink thing? You like older women? What is she, like 30?"

"Twenty-fou-...That's not the point. I love her. That's all yo-"

"You _love_ her?" Ann asked incredulously. "You. _Love._ Her?...I'm done."

"We're not don-"

"Yes. We are. With this conversation, and…" Ann paused, trying to make sure of what she wanted to say. "...and with the team. I don't feel comfortable anymore. If you don't stop seeing her...I quit."

Ren faltered, his angry expression fading. He looked over a Shiho, wondering if Ann had told her about the Thieves. But, Shiho simply kept looking at her feet as if they were the most fascinating things in the world. "Ann...the team is far more important than our personal issues."

"Then your decision should be easy, right? Me or her?"

"I-..." And the final card had been played. The move Ren had been begging and pleading to every god of every religion to stop from happening. 

The ultimatum. 

"I…" Ann continued to stare at him, awaiting his answer. 

An answer she probably wasn't expecting.

"...I'm sorry."

A tear fell down Ann's cheek. She nodded, "I'll help Haru. But, I'm done after that." She began leading Shiho past him and towards the train station. They descended down the steps, out of sight. The sun had completely vanished from the sky as night fell upon Tokyo.

Ren gripped his hair, going down on his knees as he kept mentally kicking himself for shouting.

That didn't just go worse than he expected.

That was literally the absolute worst possible way it could have ended.

Standing up, he trudged his way back to Leblanc. He almost turned around to try and catch them before they got on a train. But, the damage was done. He made his choice. 

_*Bzzt*_

Ren quickly pulled out his phone, hoping it was Ann. But, Ryuji's name popped up on his screen. He answered the phone, bringing it up to his ear.

_"Yo, dude! I totally forgot to tell you! She'll kill me for spilling, but Ann and Shiho are stopping by to surprise you. She said it was to thank you for helping her with Shiho, modeling, stuff like that. If you got Kawakami over, get her outta there!"_

Ren sighed as he leaned against the front door to the café, "A little late there, buddy."

_"Oh...Ooooooh shit. I'm sorry, dude."_

"No, don't blame yourself. This one...this one is definitely all on me."

_"It uh...It didn't go well, did it?"_

"That doesn't even begin to describe it. She…" Ren lowered his voice, his tone seeped in sadness. "...She quit the Phantom Thieves."

_"For real?! Tell me you're kidding!"_

"No. She said she didn't feel comfortable around me anymore. And with Shiho right there...I just made it worse. I chased them down, Ann started saying bad things about Sadayo. I just snapped. I started yelling back, and then she gave me an ultimatum. Her or Sadayo. Either I stop seeing her, or Ann quits."

_"Shit...Fuck, I-...What do we tell the others? How are we gonna tell them why she did it?"_

Ren shrugged, "I'll have to confess, tell them about Sadayo. I have no choice. We'll...I don't know. And I know my decision is selfish. I know the Phantom Thieves and what they do matter more to the world, but I jus-"

_"Nah, I get it. We go through enough shit as it is, and we all deserve at least one thing for ourselves. Kawakami is yours. You shouldn't have to sacrifice someone you love. That's not what we signed up for."_

"But I-

_"Dude, we'll try talking to Ann tomorrow, hopefully everything will have calmed down by then. We'll fix this."_

Ren nodded, somewhat comforted by his friend's words. "Okay. Look, I have to go explain things to Sadayo. She looked almost as sick as Shiho. I'll see you later."

…

**(Ryuji's Room)**

Ryuji heard Ren hang up, his final words sounding somber. Ann quit?! She can't just…

The blonde growled, jumping up from his bed and grabbing his hoodie. He rushed out the door, grumbling to himself, "Why am I suddenly the team therapist fixing everyone's problems?"

…

**(Leblanc)**

Ren walked through the door, looking for Sadayo. She hadn't left the spot he had left her in. She was still sitting in the bar stool, her face hidden by her hands. He left his glasses on the counter, and made his way over to her. Ren pressed himself against her back, wrapping his arms around her middle and burying his face into her shoulder.

She sighed, "How bad?"

"...She quit the Phantom Thieves. I don't think she's going to talk to me anytime soon."

The teacher curled up in her chair, a small whimper escaping her body. "What have I done? What have I done? What have I-"

"Stop. None of this is your fault."

Sadayo pried his hands off of her, standing up and backing away. “None of this would have happened if I just rejected you! If I just had some small semblance of control over my emotions! I’m ruining another one of my student’s lives!” 

“...Do you regret loving me?”

Tears welled up in her eyes, “ _You_ should! I’m making everything worse again! I-”

“That’s not what I asked.” Ren walked up to her, looking her in the eyes. “I asked, do _you_ regret loving me? Do you really wish you never said yes to me? Do you really want to take back everything? We knew the consequences. We knew some people wouldn’t accept us, but we still chose to be together. Ann is one of those people. It’s just something we can’t avoid for now. If you said yes to me back then, knowing that something like this could and would happen at some point, you knew you wouldn’t regret it. You promised that if confronted about us, you would admit it proudly. So, right now, do you regret loving me?”

“...No. No, I don’t.”

“Good, because I don’t regret any of this. Not a single second of it. I wish I could take back some of the things I said to Ann, but I don’t regret you. She gave me a choice. Either I stop seeing you, or she quits the Thieves. I chose you. I always will.” Ren gently put his hands around her waist, pulling her against him. “We’ll figure this out. I’ll talk to her again, more civilly this time. Hopefully, she'll allow me to fully explain, give the full story. Without mentioning Becky, of course. Although, Ann knowing about your maid job would be better than having Ryuji know.

"I can already hear Sakamoto's laughter."

Ren laughed, his heart still heavy. But being with Sadayo helped ease the pain. "It's like you said last night. No matter what happens, we'll have each other."

She hid her face in Ren's chest, "Ugh, that line is so cliché it hurts. And that's coming from the woman with a rom-com collection."

"Cliché? Yes. Is it effective? Still yes. And speaking of rom-coms, let's just forget about our problems tonight. I rented a new movie, and I think you need this now more than ever. Morgana is with Futaba tonight, so we're completely alone."

"Don't get any ideas. Tonight isn't feeling particularly romantic. I just want to relax."

Ren smiled, "Just go upstairs, I'll get us some drinks."

"Boss doesn't have any beer, does he?"

Ren smirked, "No. Even if he did, you said tonight wasn't romantic enough. You're extremely horny when you get drunk."

Sadayo stopped with her first foot on the steps, a frown on her face. "Excuse you, but I've never gotten drunk around you. I haven't been drunk since college, and I've never been blackout drunk. I drink light beer for crying out loud.”

"Oh, so you're just always horny." Sadayo grumbled in response as she climbed the stairs. "You didn't deny it!" All Ren received was silence as she finally entered the attic. Ren's smile vanished as he was left alone. His heart was heavy, and pain spread from his chest.

As much pain as he was in, he still wouldn't change his answer. He had no choice. He cared about Ann with everything he had…

But, his love for Ann and his friends was far different than his love for Sadayo. His friends were his home now...

But, Sadayo wasn't optional. 

…

**(Ann's Apartment)**

_*Ding Dong*_

Ann didn't move from her position on the couch. Shiho was asleep in the other room, still never having said a word. 

*Ding Dong*

_'Just go away.'_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

_*Ding Dong*_

"Alright! I'm coming! Just stop ringing the damn doorbell!"

A voice rang out from behind the door. _"Then answer it the first time, Takamaki!"_

Ann's eyes widened, "Ryuji?"

_"Yeah, it's me. Now would you open the door. I need to talk to you."_

Ann sat back down, "I don't wanna talk right now. I-"

_"Look, I know things are weird with you and Ren. And yeah, him and Kawakami is kinda weird. But this isn't something to quit the team ove-"_

"What?"

_"I said this isn-"_

Ann got up and stomped over to the door, yanking it open before Ryuji could finish his sentence. "You knew?!"

The faux blonde raised his hands defensively, "Hey, I just found out yesterday. And not intentionally I might add! Lemme guess, you catch 'em making out, too?"

"Why didn't you tell me?! Or anyone else on the team!"

"Why didn't you?" 

"I just found out half-an-hour ago!"

"So? We have a group chat. You could've said something. You're not gonna rat them out for the same reason I didn't. It's not our place. And if he gets arrested, the team is completely screwed. Makoto might be a great co-leader and strategist, but she’s not Ren.”

"B-But...they…" Ann growled, moving back into her apartment. "What's wrong with him?! Why? Why would he do this?!"

"Didn't he explain to you?"

"I-"

Ryuji held up a hand, "Wait, let me rephrase that. Did you _let_ him explain?"

"I saw everything I needed to."

Ryuji blew a raspberry as he sighed. He knew this was gonna be difficult, but it seemed like he was gonna have to use his trump card. “Is Shiho here?”

“Yeah. She’s staying the night. She’s asleep right now. I don’t think she’d be up for this conversation.”

“Damn. I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone, but maybe this is for the best.” 

“What do you me-AH!” Ryuji suddenly grabbed her by the hand, dragging her out the door. “Ryuji! Let me go! I’m not talking to him!”

Ryuji closed the door behind him, leading her down the hall and towards the elevator. “I’m not taking you to talk to him. I just need to show you something.” He continued to lead her out of the building and towards the train station. The trains would only run for another couple of hours or so. He needed to act quickly. 

“Ryuji, this is the train to Yongen-Jaya! I told you I’m not talking to Ren!”

“And I told _you_ that I’m not taking you to Ren. You might not trust him anymore, but you sure as hell better trust me.” Ann let out a heavy sigh, but kept quiet. 

“Fine, but make it quick. I don’t want Shiho to wake up and I’m gone.”

“We won’t be long...I think.” They hopped on the train, taking their seats as the train took off.

“What exactly are you trying to do, Ryuji? Are you telling me you actually agree with what Ren’s doing?”

He shrugged, “I mean, I didn’t like how he lied and kept it from us. But, I understand why he did it. I wanted to make sure he knew how it would affect the team if he got caught. Besides that? No, not really. Sure the age thing is...weird…and not very legal, but we’re well past that point. But, Kawakami isn’t old or anything. She’s still in her early twenties so it’s not like he’s going after cougars or something. He’ll be 18 pretty soon, and he’s more grown up than most adults we know. And, if we’re being completely, totally honest here...I think Ren hit the jackpot. Kawakami is pretty damn hot.”

“Ryuji!” She punched his arm, frowning at her friend.

“Ow! What?! I’m just being honest!”

Ann shook her head, “But she’s our teacher.” The teen boy opened his mouth, but closed it. “What?”

“Ann, look. You might not be willing to listen to Ren, but please just listen to me.”

“Fine.”

“No. I need you to seriously listen to me. This is coming from me, so you know that I ain’t bullshitting you.” 

“...Okay, but I’ll make no promises that I won’t slap you, too.”

“You slapped him?!”

“Just get to the point.”

Ryuji took a deep breath, “Ann, I know Kamoshida still has a weird effect on you. But, at some point, you have to realize that not all teachers are like him.” Ann didn’t respond to that, so he took it as a signal to continue. “I get we fight shitty adults, and I know he was as big of a total piece of human garbage as they come. But, even I gotta admit...Kawakami’s kinda awesome.”

“You’ve already said she’s hot, Ryuji!”

“That’s not what I meant! I mean, in the past few months she’s been the best teacher in the school. Everyone thinks so. She’s seriously become everyone’s favorite. She doesn’t just help when people ask for it, but she seeks them out when she notices they’re having trouble. Wanna know why I know that? She offered to tutor me! Me! Of all people! The one she used to think of as nothing but a trouble-making waste of space. I’m not even in her class! And you know what? I think I’m gonna accept. She doesn’t look sick and tired anymore, she’s not pissy all the time. She’s downright friendly to me, and apparently she’s helped a ton of students with their resumés. And based on the very vague timeline Ren gave me, I think we both know who’s responsible for her mood shift. He told me they got together a few months back, around early July.”

Ann couldn’t deny most of that was true. A few months ago, Kawakami had walked into the class looking legitimately happy. Like, _extremely_ happy. The entire class was weirded out by it. Ren also had a smile 24/7 for a full week during that time. He would never tell why he was so happy. And Kawakami definitely seemed to be helping others at every given opportunity. “Wait, that was also around the time we went to Mementos to stop those people from harassing Ms. Kawakami.”

Ryuji nodded, “Yep, Ren said that was related to it. He wouldn’t say what they were doing, or why they were harassing her. But, do you remember how he was acting that day?”

“Yeah, he was scary. He basically fought them all by himself. He didn’t even let them show their true selves as Shadows. They were basically beaten when they still looked like normal people. Makoto gave him an earful about overaggression after that.”

“Ren clearly cares a whole lot about her, and has clearly been good for her. And, if you really want proof... “ Ryuji pulled out his phone, opening the Nav app. “Sadayo Kawakami.”

_“Results not found”_

“See? Nothing. No palace.”

“Ryuji, I get where you’re going. But-”

“I’m not done yet. Answer me this. Do you honestly think Ren would date Kawakami if she was in any way like Kamoshida? Do you think Ren would take all the risks if he didn’t think she was worth it?”

Ann ran a hand down her face, taking a deep breath. "I don't even know anymore."

"Well, keep thinking about it while you walk, cause we're here." They left the train, making their way to the surface streets of Yongen-Jaya. They walked past Leblanc, down to Sojiro's house. 

"What are we doing here? Does Boss know?"

"Not that I know of. I think you and I are the only ones." Ryuji rang the doorbell, waiting for an answer. Sojiro opened the door, confusion appearing on his face. 

"What are you kids doing here so late?"

"Sorry, Boss," Ryuji responded. "But, it's really important that we see Futaba. It won't be long! We'll be out of your hair before ya know it."

"...Alright. I can't deny Futaba more social interaction, no matter what time." Ryuji thanked him, moving inside and down to Futaba's room. They knocked and entered, Futaba and Morgana perking up at the sight of them. 

"Lady Ann! Oh...and _you_." 

"I ain't got time to argue with you, cat. Futaba, can you still hack into Ren's phone?"

The teen flashed her evil gremlin smile, "You say that like I stopped hacking it at some point."

Ryuji's eyes widened, "Wait, does that mean you know about Kawakami, too?"

"...Who?"

Morgana whined, "Ryuji! You've known for 24 hours and you couldn't keep your mouth shut!"

"Hey! I didn't tell Ann!"

"...Oh my God, did Joker get caught _again_?"

"Sure did. See? Maybe I'm _not_ the screw up around here."

Futaba raised a brow, "Well, you just told me."

"I-...Well-...You still don't... Would you just fuckin' hack his phone?!

"Jeez, fine. What do you want? Text, phone calls, audio?

"Can you get audio and video?"

"On it." Futaba opened a new file and typed on her keyboard for a few seconds. "Done. Now, why are we spying?"

"Not you. Us."

"Wha-?! But this is my room!"

Ryuji looked around the room, "All for Futaba leaving." He and Ann raised their hands, and Morgana a paw. Futaba grumbled, leaving her room muttering threats. "And stop spying on us!"

"I make no promises! Mwehehehe!"

Ryuji groaned, turning to Morgana. "So, why didn't she know who Kawakami was? She combs through like half of our texts."

Morgana replied, "I've been making sure she doesn't read your texts most nights now. Besides, before a few months ago, Joker would always call her from the yellow phone at Leblanc. They were being more cautious back then."

Ann put her hands up, getting their attention. "Why are we spying on them in the first place?"

Ryuji took Ann by the shoulders, sitting her down at Futaba's computer. "Just watch."

Morgana asked, "Whatever you're planning, are you sure it'll work?"

"Not at all."

"Figures."

"Let's all just hope they ain't banging right now."

"Wait, wh-!?"

_*Click*_

…

**(Leblanc: The Attic)**

Ren checked his phone for the millionth time in the past thirty minutes. He was hoping for any kind of text from Ann. His hope was quickly diminishing as the minutes came and went.

He felt a soft kiss press against his neck, "I'm so sorry."

Ren looked down at Sadayo as she laid against him, the soft glow of the television enveloping them in the dark. “You’ve been saying that for an hour. How many times do I have to tell you this isn’t your fault? It’s mine.”

“It doesn’t matter how much you say that. I played a part. Maybe I can convince her to talk to you.”

Ren shook his head, “Honestly, that might just make it worse. You’re probably the last person she wants to talk to besides me. If she would just listen to me for five minutes, maybe she would understand.”

“Our situation isn’t one most would understand.”

“I don’t care if she doesn’t understand how I feel. I just want her to see that you’re nothing like Kamoshida. You’re not using me, or forcing me to do this.” Ren placed his phone down on the bed, shifting so he was above her. “I wish she could just see how much I Iove you.”

Sadayo raised her hands up, cupping both sides of his face. “Maybe _my_ love for you is what we should convince her of. I’m her main problem. She doesn’t trust me. Maybe I can prove to her that I really love you.”

Ren leaned into her touch, “This is my mess. You don’t need to convince her of anything.”

“Yes, I do."

“Not if she keeps saying those things about you.”

She tugged Ren’s hair, “Enough of that. You know how and why she’s feeling this way. Most would likely assume those things about me if they found out.”

Ren closed his eyes as Sadayo’s hand returned to his cheek, “I’m so sick and tired of all the accusations. She yelled at me for being ignorant of her being a victim of that, but she failed to notice she was doing the exact same thing to you.”

“It’s understandable.”

“It’s hypocrisy.” 

Sadayo shook her head, “This is different. Her past experiences influence her train of thought. She has good reason to believe what she does. When people accused her, it was just teens spreading rumors and corruption. Right now you're just frustrated with her, but you have a bias towards me. This can't be easy for her. It's not easy for anyone. Don't blame her for making parallels to Kamoshida."

“He was a monster trying to take power where he didn't deserve it, and a rapist. You are a woman, who went through so much hardship and trouble just for helping somebody. A woman who worked endlessly to get her life back, and earned it. A woman who helps her students, enjoys helping her students, truly cares about them...perhaps cares about one of them a little too much.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“What I’m saying is, she needs to see the real you. The smart, gorgeous, kind-hearted, sassy, young woman that you are. If I talk to her again, and she refuses to at least try, then I can’t do anything else. I made my choice, and I refuse to go back on it. Maybe…"

"What?"

"...Maybe I should be the one to quit the Thieves."

Sadayo looked at him concerned, "Why wou-"

"I'm the reason she's uncomfortable. I'm the one who won't give up the one he loves. I'm the one being selfish. They have Queen, she's already a fine leader. If I'm going to cause the team pain, then I shouldn't be around. I can't get her to listen, but...she shouldn’t leave because of me."

"Don't you love what you do? Being a Phantom Thief?" 

"I do, but I love you more. You won't have to worry about me going off on dangerous missions anymore, and I'll have more time to spend with you."

Sadayo shook her head in disbelief, "You're investing a lot into me."

"And it's already paid off tenfold over and over again. I'll see if I can get through to her first before I decide, but no matter what happens you can't blame yourself."

"...Fine. It's your decision, but... don't forget what I said about relying on me. I'll be here for you in every outcome. I love you, Ren."

"I love you, too." Ren leaned down, kissing her with all the passion he could exert. "Now, about tonight not being romantic enough…"

Sadayo pushed him down on his back, placing her head on his chest and focusing back on the movie. "No."

Ren groaned, but smiled to himself.

…

**(Futaba's Room)**

Ryuji clicked off of the video, looking over to Ann. "I don't know about you, but none of that screams "evil" to me. I think she seriously cares about him. She was even trying to defend you. I don't want either you or Ren to quit. Us three are what started all this."

Morgana spoke up, "Hey! I'm the one wh-"

"Not now, cat. Talkin' serious over here. Ann…" She finally turned her eyes to him, her face clearly showing she was in deep thought. "...Just talk to him. Please? Just let him explain, without slapping him. If ya still wanna quit after that...I guess I can't stop ya. But, know Ren has never, _ever_ tried to hurt you or any one of us intentionally."

Morgana nodded, "Lady Ann, I also would like to vouch for Joker and Kawakami. Every time she's been over, all she does is show how much she cares about him. Whenever we're alone, she talks to me thinking I'm a normal cat. She tells me about how much she worries about him, or wonders what things she should do for him or how to repay him. She's a good woman. And don't tell Haru, but she gives the best ear scratches. Hands down."

Ann was silent, but she stood up and walked towards the door. The faux blonde slumped, thinking he had failed. "Ryuji?" He looked up at Ann's words. "...We don't give you enough credit." She walked out the door, leaving the house.

"Why is everyone only realizing that now?!”

Morgana put a paw on his shoulder, "If it makes you feel any better, I still don't give you any credit."

…

**(20 Minutes Later. Leblanc)**

Ren looked down at Sadayo, her eyes mostly closed as she began to fall asleep. "I'm gonna assume you're staying the night."

"Mmph."

Ren chuckled, carefully getting up. "I need to go lock up then." Making his way down the stairs, he pulled out his keys and headed to the front door. He looked up, his eyes widening as he was met with the crystal blue eyes of Ann through the glass. He slowly opened the door, coming face to face with her. “...Hey.”

“...Hi.”

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you knock.”

“I didn’t. I’ve been standing out here for twenty minutes trying to muster the courage to enter.” Silence filled the air once again, until they both broke.

“I’m sorry.”/”I’m sorry.”

Both paused at the other’s apology. Ren shook his head, “No, Ann. I screamed at you, I didn’t even consider how you’d feel for my entire relationship with Sadayo. I lied to you, I just...Please, don’t quit the Thieves. I’m the problem here, I-”

“I’m not quitting and neither are you.” 

“You’re not? Wait, how did you know I was going to qui...Futaba?”

“Futaba.”

Ren quickly pulled out his phone, looking directly into his camera. “Stop spying on me.”

_*Bzzt*_

_Futaba: No_

Ren glared at the camera.

_Futaba: ...Fine_

He put his phone back into his pocket, returning his attention back to Ann. “But, why did-”

“Thirty minutes.” Ren stopped at her interruption, surprise etched onto his features. “I’m sorry for not giving you the chance to explain...and for slapping you...and for...and for insulting and accusing Ms. Kawakami of things I had no idea if she was doing. So, I’m giving you thirty minutes to explain yourself.”

“I don’t understand. What made you want to come back?”

“It was Ryuji, actually.”

Ren smirked, “Maybe I should give him that substitute co-leader spot after all.” The teen moved out of the way, motioning for Ann to enter. “Coffee?”

“I’m fine.” She sat down at one of the booths, wrapping her jacket around her tighter. Ren sat across from her. “Is she still here?”

“Yeah, upstairs. But, she’s asleep. We can talk to her later, I can tell the full story. I won’t lie, it’ll probably take more than 30 minutes.”

Ann waved the comment off, “Forget the time limit. I just want to understand.”

Ren nodded while taking a deep breath, “Okay, well...there will be some details that I can’t tell you. Sadayo finds them embarrassing, and they're private to us and us alone. So to still give you the full scope of what happened, I’m going to have to be a little vague in some areas. I promise none of them will be lies.”

Ann nodded, hearing the sincerity in his voice. “Go ahead.”

“It started one night when I was with Ryuji and Mishima…”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, constructive criticism is always welcome and wanted.


	3. Understanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is really just the resolution with Ann, going through their backstory to let her understand how our main couple came to be. I was considering just skipping the retelling, but I wanted to have our main two go into it themselves and talk about how they felt during important times of that story. So, all in all not a major chapter or anything. But that's not really the point of this story, so it's alright. To the small group that does read this, I hope you enjoy.

"So, you ran into Ms. Kawakami at her second job?"

"Yes."

"A job that you refuse to say what it is?"

"Correct."

Ann sighed, "Ren we're only one minute into your story, and it's already super vague."

Ren sipped his coffee, leaning back in the booth. "I told you some details can't be spoken. I might be sharing the story, but those small parts I keep to myself are Sadayo and I's business, and ours alone. They're not absolutely crucial parts anyway."

“It sounds a little crucial. It can’t be an average job, most of the students would have definitely seen her by now if she was a cashier or waitress or something. What exactly were you guys doing that caused you to run into Ms. Kawakami on her mysterious job?”

Ren knew Ann was smarter than she let on. Her laid back attitude conflicted with her intelligence most of the time, causing her grades to fall. But, she was a genius when it came to other people and their emotions, along with a keen eye for detail. Which was usually great. But, now Ann had her complete focus on him, and she was absorbing every detail of his story. If Ren didn’t pick his words carefully, Ann would just figure everything out herself. She had already figured out that Sadayo’s job wasn’t normal, and that Ren had only found out because he was with Ryuji. And since she knew Ryuji better than anyone, especially when she was usually on the end of his hormonal teenager side, that meant it wouldn’t be long before Ann honed in on the jobs of a more...risqué nature.

“Just call it a lucky coincidence.”

Ann slightly raised her hands up in defeat, "Fine. Also, I still can't get used to you calling Ms. Kawakami by her first name."

"I doubt that's the only thing about this you're not used to."

"You'd be right."

Ren chuckled, placing his mug down on the table. "All you need to know is that the job was bad, and she needed out of it ASAP...well, I didn't exactly do anything to help her at first. But, then the deal was formed."

"The deal?"

Ren nodded, crossing his arms as he spoke. "You see, Sadayo was in desperate need of money. And I didn't want to see her having to do a job she hated so much. So, I offered to essentially be a private client. She would help me around the café after hours, and I would pay her. She doesn't know this, but I would actually pay more than we agreed upon. Not only that, but she would give me more free time in class. As long as I keep my grades up, obviously. Speaking of which, no she doesn’t manipulate my grades or anything...Actually, now that I think about it she’s been harder on me since we started going out.”

"What did she need the money for?"

"She...actually, I'm not sure if I can tell you that."

Ann huffed, "You've gotta be kidding me."

"It's just that the topic is sensitive to her. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one who knows about that part of her life either."

"Gambling?"

"No."

"Yakuza?"

"You're pushing it, Ann." The blonde quickly closed her mouth, remembering how sensitive Ren was about innocent people, especially Sadayo. "Let's just say the debt she was paying was wrongfully put on her. And she was working herself to death over it. I even had to visit her in the hospital after she collapsed, but we'll get to that later."

Ann bit her lip in contemplation, leaning forward towards Ren. "Was it those two people we fought back in June? The couple you said we're harassing Ms. Kawakami."

Ren sighed, "...Yes. Information you wouldn't have if Morgana hadn't absolutely insisted that I bring the whole team along to fight them. Remind me to throw out his fatty tuna."

"You were going to go alone?"

"Just about. I didn't want to risk you guys finding out about Sadayo's secret. I made a promise to keep that information to myself."

“You were willing to risk getting killed for her secret?”

Ren nodded, “I would have. But, while I know I can get cocky down in the Metaverse, even I can’t deny that some of that confidence is deserved. You saw what I did down there, I could have beaten them.”

“Mementos is unpredictable. You know that. Sure, you beat them, but what if the Reaper showed up? You and Morgana couldn’t do that alone.”

“What’s done is done, Ann.”

“But you could’ve died.”

“For the woman I love.”

Ann was about to retort, but realized whatever she had to say would sound like she was criticizing Ren’s love for Kawakami. And the last time she did that it ended in a screaming match. She sat back, nodding towards Ren. “Okay. Just continue.”

Ren emptied his mug before resuming his story, “Well, it was going well for a while. She’d come over after hours, help me clean and such. Over time I talked to her more, learned more about her. She was still working her second job, but I was relieving some of the stress. Or, I tried to. I’d make her curry, let her sleep here for a few hours, let her rant about work, other students or teachers, mostly Ms. Chouno. After a while I realized I wasn’t just doing it to help her out. I enjoyed her company. Just talking to her made me feel happy. She was my break away from all the chaos, my comfort after long days of being Phantoms. Then, one day I learned that she collapsed at her second job.”

Ann blew a raspberry, her eyebrows going up in shock. “Wow. She needed money that badly?”

“Yeah, but…” Ren looked down at the table, his expression turning into one of deep thought and reminiscence. “...I can still remember how I felt whenever they said she was hospitalized. My stomach didn’t just drop, it felt like someone had just yanked it out. I couldn’t feel my heart beating anymore. I was more afraid at that moment than I had ever been in Mementos.” The teen smiled, shaking his head as if he didn’t even believe it himself. “It was at that moment I realized that I was in love with her. I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her. All those times I would just look at her with this warmth in my chest finally made sense. I’ve had crushes before, but absolutely nothing compared to what she made me feel. What she _makes_ me feel, even now as we speak of her. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life than to be with her.”

Ann bit her lip as she absorbed everything Ren was saying. She knew being in love wasn’t something she had experienced in her life yet. But, everything Ren had described was how she always imagined being in love would feel like. “That must have been a lot to take in. Realizing you were in love with your teacher, I mean.”

“It was actually a relief finally knowing what my feelings were. It was, however, one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever had. Falling in love for the first time, only to have it be with someone you can never be with. Someone who wouldn’t and couldn’t love you back. At least, that’s how it was supposed to be.”

“You have a knack for doing the impossible, Ren.”

“Maybe, but even I could never imagine being able to do this.” Ren chuckled, “Entering a different dimension and changing hearts sounds more plausible to me than having a woman fall in love with me.”

“We live a strange life.”

“You can say that again.” They laughed, the tension from earlier that night dissipating by the minute. Slowly, but surely. “Sadly, the day only got worse when those people harassing Sadayo showed up to the hospital asking for even more money.”

“Tch, what jerks!”

“That doesn’t even begin to describe them. I tried to get Sadayo to tell me their full names, but she wouldn’t budge. I managed to get them to go away, but the debt was piling high. Luckily, I was able to convince Sadayo to cut them off completely.”

“I’m assuming they didn’t take a liking to that.”

“Not at all. They showed up at school, asked for more money than ever, and threatened to reveal her secrets and second job to the principal if she didn’t. She would’ve been ruined.”

Ann perked up in her seat, which meant another slip on Ren’s part. “Her second job would have ruined her career?”

“I...Ann, look it wa-”

“Ren, was she in trouble? I know you said not to pry, but the more you hide about it, the worse it sounds.”

“I can’t tell you.”

Ann continued, ignoring his protest. “And what caused you to nearly kill their shadows in Mementos? You already knew you could stop them easily, but you were still furious.”

“Ann, it’s not important. Can we ju-”

“I was a maid.” Both teens immediately turned their gazes to the bottom of the staircase, Sadayo was standing in the doorway. “I was a maid-for-hire at a company called Victoria’s.”

Ren stood from the booth, looking panickedly at his lover. “Sadayo, you don’t have to-”

“This entire conversation is about helping her understand and trust you again. It doesn’t help when we keep hiding things from her. If my dignity is the price to pay to help you earn her trust back, then so be it.” Sadayo approached the booth, bowing towards Ann. “Takamaki, it’s good to see you. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances. And I apologize that you and Suzui had to see Ren and I...interacting intimately like that.”

Ann blushed, nodding at her. “It’s okay. It happened, we just need to move past it. We have more important things to talk about. For example...a maid?”

“Call-in housekeeping, to be specific,” Sadayo said, sitting down next to Ren. “That makes it sound so much less embarrassing when in reality it was me going to people's apartments so they could perv on me in a maid outfit.”

“Wow, so you...Wait a minute.” Ann swerved her glare on to Ren, “You and Ryuji ordered a maid service?! Wait, what am I saying? Ryuji ordered a maid service?!”

Ren seethed through his teeth, “Yeah, kind of. I really didn’t want to go, but I knew he’d get himself into trouble. Then, Mishima was dragged into it, so at that point I knew a supervisor was needed. But, then they ditched me before Sadayo came through the door.”

Sadayo sighed, “Thank goodness for that. It was terrifying enough to see you there. If Sakamoto was there, too, I would have died on the spot. Now do you see why I would have been fired? The school wouldn’t want me associated with them.”

Ann nodded, tugging one of her ponytails. “I get what you mean, but what about the big secret Ren talked about? What were those people blackmailing you for?”

Ren tried to interject, “I think that’s enou-”

Sadayo placed a hand on his arm, silencing him immediately. “It’s fine, Ren. It’s like I said, her trust is more important.” The teacher turned back to Ann, the blonde awaiting an answer. “During my first year as a teacher, I taught at a different school. There was a boy named Takase, his grades were the lowest in his class and he skipped school a lot. Much like Ren, his reputation wasn’t the best. The principal told me to persuade him to transfer, but I learned the truth about Takase. His parents had died, his income was extremely low, causing him to have three part-time jobs that made him have to skip class. So, instead I chose to personally tutor him.”

Ann, seeing the parallels between Ren and Takase, couldn’t help but ask. “Um...I don’t mean to insult you or anything, but...did you and Takase also have...uh…”

Sadayo looked at Ann with confusion until her eyes widened, the implication becoming clear to her. “Oh! No! Nononononono! Not at all! I never entered a relationship with Takase, nor did I ever have feelings for him! Ren is the one and only time this has or ever will happen.”

“Okay, sorry. Just had to make sure.” Ann was doing her best to ignore the side-eye Ren was giving her. His protective side was new to her, and it was evident Kawakami was his trigger.

“I-It’s fine. With Ren and I’s relationship, it’s understandable that you would think that. Takase was strictly my student, nothing more. Even that relationship as teacher and student was seen as negative in the principal’s eyes. He told me that interacting with a boy of such reputation would hurt the school. I was forced to either resign, or stop helping Takase.”

Ann scoffed, “Are all the principals in this city dicks?"

Ren shrugged, "Maybe we should investigate other highschools."

“I made my choice," Sadayo continued. "As much as I hated it, I didn’t want to lose my other students, too. So, I called Takase and told him I couldn’t tutor him anymore. Directly after I called, he died in a car crash.” Ann’s eyes widened, her mouth agape. Sadayo took her silence as a sign to continue. “The hospital said it was likely due to exhaustion from all his jobs. But, at the time, my guilt consumed me. I was convinced by his adopted guardians that he committed suicide because of me. Since that day, they threatened to sue me unless I paid them continuously as an apology.”

Ann furrowed her brow in thought, “Those two people from Mementos…”

Ren nodded, “Takase’s guardians. Complete assholes didn’t care about Takase. They only cared about the money they could force out of Sadayo.”

Anger found its way onto Ann’s face, “I can’t help but think that sometimes our work as Phantom Thieves will never be done. People like them keep coming out of nowhere.”

Sadayo spoke up again, “So, that catches you up with where Ren was, but with all the details.”

The blonde nodded, taking a deep breath as she mulled over everything. “I understand why you would want to keep that secret. I’m sorry for pushing so hard. I guess that’s everything, except what happened the day we actually went after them. Ren, you said she wouldn’t give you their names. What changed?”

To Ann’s surprise, Ren stayed quiet. He avoided eye-contact, a scowl formed on his features. Sadayo spoke for him instead. “He doesn’t like to talk about that part. I keep telling him that it never actually happened thanks to you all, but it’s still a sensitive topic for him.”

“What never happened?”

A heavy sigh escaped the teacher before she continued, “Well, when the Takase’s showed up at school and threatened me for even more money, it was far more money than I could make. So, I told Ren that I was going to have to join Victoria’s sister company.”

Ann furrowed her brow, “What sister company? What’s the difference?”

Both of the woman’s attention was grabbed by Ren making a low growl. Sadayo patted his arm with a sympathetic smile, standing from the booth to let Ren out. “Why don’t you go outside for a second to cool off.” 

Ren looked hesitant, but nodded. He left the booth, exiting the building to lean against the outside wall. Ann sat in shock, “I’ve never seen Ren so angry. Or, at least I’ve never seen him show his anger like that. Besides earlier tonight, that is. I’ve never even heard him speak this much in one day.”

“He does like his stoicism,” Sadayo responded as she sat back down. 

“Except when it comes to you. He gets so expressive when it comes to anything about you.”

A smile and blush bloomed on the teacher’s face, “I’m honored to have that ability.”

“So, what almost happened that has Ren like that.”

Sadayo sighed, “The sister company of Victoria dealt with... _special_ services for customers.”

“What do yo-...Oh. Oh, wow. You mean prositution, don’t you?”

“...Yeah.” Ann wasn’t entirely sure what to say at that point. She hadn’t just been considering going to prostituion, Kawakami had already made the decision. No wonder Ren was so furious that day. Getting told by your loved one that they were going to be forced into prositution must have been horrifying to hear. “After that I could see Ren change. He just snapped, made me tell him their full names. Once he did, he ran out of the building. Next thing I knew, a few hours later the Takase’s were calling me and saying that I no longer had to pay the debt. In fact, they’ve been paying me back ever since. It didn’t take long for me to figure out who convinced them and how. Thank you, by the way. Truly.”

“I-It’s no big deal. I’m just happy we saved you from having to do that.”

“After that, I went to Ren to tell him the good news.” Sadayo chuckled, “And apparently he had good news, too. Once I got there, he proceeded to tell me that he was in love with me.”

“Woah! Just like that?”

The woman’s chuckle turned into a full laugh, “Yeah, and you wouldn’t believe the line he used. I told him that we were a teacher and student. He said, “Really? Because all I see is a man and a woman”. And I won’t lie, I fell for it. I didn’t tell him that, but I did. I left, thought about it all, and went back to him the next night.”

“I didn’t think you’d accept so fast. What made you do it?”

“Actually, I told him no.”

Ann’s brows rose, “Oh. Really? But, I was told you two got together in July.”

“No, we did. That same night actually. Just about thirty seconds after I told him no. Even after rejecting him, I just couldn’t deny what I felt. I had already been living a life of torture over the last few years. He was the thing that saved me from it. Even with the risks, I just couldn't help myself. I’m in love with him, and I care about him more than anything.”

“...When did you realize you were in love with him? Ren said he knew when he found out you were in the hospital.”

“It was actually when he confessed. He described how he felt about me, and I realized that everything he felt I did, too. It hit me like a train, the emotions were overwhelming. At first, I tried to explain it by saying it was because he saved me from the Takases. Misplaced joy put onto him, mistaken as love. But, I already knew I was in love with him far before then. I was terrified, but my desire to be with him conquered everything else.” 

Ann bit her lip before she spoke, "It even conquered the fear of ruining both of your lives?"

Sadayo leaned forward, looking Ann directly in the eyes. “I know how you feel about us, and I don’t think you’re wrong to feel that way. What Ren and I have isn’t exactly normal, and I know it reminds you of Kamoshida. What he did is despicable, and he deserves everything that happens to him. And, I know you must think I'm no better. Think of me what you will. I just need you to know, from me, not what Ren told you. I love him. I love Ren Amamiya, and that’s not going to change. Turn me in to the school, I’ll still love him. Sue me, I’ll love him. Send me to jail, I'll tell him to move on. But, he's stubborn, so I know he won't. Which just means I'll be waiting for the day I get out to be with him again. Anything that happens won’t change that. You don’t have to trust me about anything for the rest of your life, but you need to know what I feel for him is real.”

Ann could see just how serious Sadayo was. Even when she was watching her through Ren's phone, she could see the love in her eyes when she looked at Ren. "...You guys really just couldn't wait a year for Ren to turn 18, huh?"

A chuckle escaped the teacher's lips, "We talked about it. That conversation ended with him spending the ni-...Let's just say we agreed that we were both too impatient to handle that year apart."

Deciding to ignore what Sadayo was about to say, Ann relaxed in her seat. It was just too bizarre to comprehend Ren and Sadayo together. But, she also couldn't deny that there were zero signs of Ren being taken advantage of, Sadayo having any ill intent, or anything legitimately harmful going on. 

If Ren was willing to sacrifice his position as a Phantom Thief just to continue his relationship with Kawakami, there was no denying he was completely serious.

And Kawakami was willing to do the exact same thing by giving up her secret, dignity, and even career for Ren. 

Their story together wasn't anything to blink at either. All that time of putting their trust in one another, relying on each other for comfort, helping one another through their day to day life. They grew a legitimate connection, which unwillingly grew into love.

The teacher and student looked at one another in silence as Sadayo allowed Ann to process everything. “...Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I...I believe you. I think I’ve seen enough to know that this is nothing like Kamoshida. You and Ren clearly care about each other, even more than I know. Just please give me a while to get used to this. It's not something I can just accept automatically." Ann leaned forward, gazing down at the table as she spoke. "Ever since Kamoshida, I've made it a personal requirement to not revert back to the way I was back then. Complacent, depressed, I had no control on my life, and my ignorance nearly cost me Shiho."

Sadayo was shocked out of her focus by the last comment. "What happened to Shiho wasn't your fault. You couldn't hav-"

The blonde chuckled, waving Sadayo off. "I've been told this a million times. There's no point in telling me. I know it's not really my fault, but I'll never not harbor guilt for what happened. I'll always think of the hundreds of ways I could have stopped it. What matters is I never let it happen again. But, tonight I reverted. Seeing you and Ren like that...it just sort of mentally shot me back to the beginning of the year. I didn't let Ren explain, I didn't even look for answers. I just ran. I ran from my problems just like I used to. I almost lost another friend because I didn't take charge of my life and face my problems."

"From what I hear, Ren didn't handle it much better."

Ann shrugged, "Maybe, but I wasn't exactly saying the most flattering things about you."

"I'm sure anything you said isn't nearly as bad as what I would hear if Ren and I went public."

"What I'm saying is, I slipped and caused more trouble than we needed. Again, I know it's not fully my fault, but I can't stop thinking about how I could have avoided all this. I can't go back to the way I used to be. My lack of trust in teachers is something that has always stayed with me from that time. And, I guess…" Ann lifted her eyes, looking over at Sadayo. "...You're the one that can change that. If Ren and Ryuji trust you, then so can I. Or, at least I can try."

A grateful smile broke out on Sadayo's face, her eyes growing watery. "Thank you. I promise I'll do my best to keep that trust. As a teacher, confidant, and ally to the Phantom Thieves."

Ann smiled back, "...God, this is still so weird to me."

Sadayo bowed her head, “Of course, I understand why it would be. Take all the time you need to adjust to this. Thank you very much.”

“I'd say if you hurt Ren, I'll make you regret it. But, I get the feeling you'd just say the same to me."

"Very true."

"I may be willing to try, but I can’t guarantee Shiho will come around anytime soon, if ever. What she went through...it might just be too much for her to see you and Ren again. At least, for a while. I'll see what I can do, but don't hold your breath. Speaking of Shiho, the final trains are about to arrive and she's still at my place. I should go. I don't want her waking up to find me gone without a note or anything." Ann stood from the booth, turning to face the door. Before she took her first step, she turned back around to face Kawakami. “I know this is obvious, but don’t get caught. Ren has a lot of people that care about him, and...I guess we care about you, too. Especially if you make Ren this happy.”

Sadayo nodded, determination in her eyes. “Despite how reckless he and I have been the last twenty-four hours, we fully intend on keeping this relationship private until we don’t need to anymore.”

With that, Ann walked out the door, catching Ren’s attention. “Oh, are you done? You’re not leaving because you’re angry again, are you? Look i-” The teen was interrupted by Ann throwing her arms around him. 

  
“Just shut up, Ren. Seriously, you talking this much is creeping me out.”

Ren scoffed, hugging Ann back. “I figured you would enjoy me being so open for once. So, are we good.”

“Are you hiding anything else?”

“...Well, sometimes when I go to sleep I end up in a prison where there are two child guards and a long-nosed warden.”

“Very funny, Ren.”

“Well, I tried.” He backed away from the hug, looking down at his friend. "Seriously, are we…?"

"Yes, we're good. Just give me some adjustment time, alright?" 

The leader nodded, backing away to let Ann leave. "Oh, and we'd like to tell everyone our own way at the right time. So, if you wouldn't mind…?"

"The other Thieves are on a need-to-know basis, I gotcha."

"Thanks, Ann. Really, I...I know how my choice made me look earlier. But, you and the other Thieves are my f-."

"Family and you love us? Yeah, I know. I'm sure in time you'll even feel the same about Haru. I also know you didn't do all this to hurt me or Shiho." Ann placed her hands on his shoulders, giving an affectionate squeeze. "I forgive you, Ren. You and I will be fine."

"Perfect." Ren looked through the window, he could see Sadayo wiping her eyes with a smile still on her face. 

Ann followed his gaze, her eyes widening. "Those are happy tears! I swear! I told her I trust her!"

"Don't worry, I know. Did you say you trusted her as a teacher?"

"That was a part of it, yeah." Ann watched as a soft smile grew on Ren's face.

"After everything with Takase, her life these last few years, her behavior as a teacher and how the students used to talk about her... Saying you trusted her as a teacher means more to her than you know." A chuckle escaped Ren's lips, "A few weeks ago she came to me bawling, because she overheard a student say she was her favorite teacher. Teaching is her passion, and that was stripped away from her for a long time. Thank you for saying what you did."

Ann grinned warmly at the story. "You just keep making it more difficult to dislike her."

"I do my best." He checked his phone, looking at the time. "You should go. Train's leaving soon."

"Ah, back to the quiet, short sentence speaking Ren now, are we?" The leader merely nodded in response, remaining silent. "I get it. All of that was emotionally draining for me, so it must've been brutal for you." Both laughed, turning towards one another once more. "G'night, Ren."

"Good night."

The blonde turned away, leaving Ren and Sadayo to themselves for the rest of the night. As Ann reached the end of the alley, Ryuji popped his head out from behind the corner. “Wha-? Ryuji?! You’re still here?”

“Of course I am! Because for some reason I’m the one that has to handle you and Ren’s personal problems now. Besides, I needed to make sure you two didn’t explode at each other again...You didn’t, did you?”

“No, I’m just...trying to process it all. But, progress has been made. So that’s something, I guess. Kawakami’s alright, and weirdly enough actually kind of good for Ren.”

The faux blonde nodded, “It is definitely weird, but you get used to it.”

“Used to it? You’ve known for one day.”

“I'm easy-going."

"No, you're just happy your friend landed someone hot."

"So you agree she's hot!?" Ann scoffed, walking down the street towards the train station. Ryuji jogged after her, shouting, "You didn't deny it!"

…

**(Leblanc)**

"Ren, _please_ tell me no more of your friends are coming over to surprise us?"

The student laughed as he locked the door to the café. "Sadayo, I won't lie to you. There's a good chance Yusuke might show up with a lobster."

"Very funny," Sadayo said, rolling her eyes.

Ren smiled, walking over to the booth and picking up Sadayo bridal-style, carrying her towards the stairs. "At this point I'd welcome Yusuke over the others. He doesn't know you, and I honestly doubt he'd care all that much about our relationship besides wanting to paint us."

Sadayo snuggled into Ren's chest as the first step up the stairs was taken. "A painting of us? That doesn't sound too bad."

"He'd want it to be nude. Most likely a painting of us having sex."

"I retract my previous statement."

Ren made it up the steps, placing Sadayo down on the bed once more. "I would actually be scared if Makoto showed up. Seriously, you might actually have to run from her. She once glared down Ryuji so hard he cried."

"Sounds like she really will make a good detective," Sadayo said through a yawn. She unbuckled her belt, kicking off her skirt and tossing her sweater to the side. She grabbed a nearby shirt of Ren's, pulling it on before throwing the covers over her body. "I'm beat. That was the last slip up. No more getting caught."

"If that's so, then isn't it a bad idea for you to spend the night here?"

"Not if we're smart about it. I just have to be out of here by 8."

"I won't turn that down." Ren put on his pajamas, crawling in next to Sadayo. "So who are we telling next?"

Sadayo groaned, laying her head down on Ren's chest. "That's not funny."

"Sorry. We have Shiho to worry about anyway. She's going to be a whole lot harder to convince. Which is understandable."

"We'll handle it tomorrow."

"We said the same thing about Ann."

"And look where it got us."

"I...Fair enough."

"See? Just relax."

_*Bzzt*_

Ren pulled his phone out, checking the message he received. 

_Futaba: So who's Kawakami?_

...Damn it.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Maybe I'll do a sequel to this where it's revealed to everyone else. I dunno. Now I gotta find time to write the USJ to "An Insecure Violet".


End file.
